BOMBSHELLS: Matthews aims to have impact as mentor and community leader as well as a receiver with Bombers

In a conference call, on the day he was signed to a three-year contract by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, receiver Chris Matthews vowed to be a leader and a mentor when he arrived in training camp.

He said the same thing to head coach Mike O’Shea.

On Sunday and Monday as the Bombers opened camp at IG Field, Matthews was true to his word.

“If you were rolling your film here after practice, you would have seen him on the field with a bunch of young guys, working on the Jugs for 15-20 minutes and then running,” Bombers coach Mike O’Shea said. “When we talked on the phone, he promised me he was gonna take a group of guys and lead them on a daily basis and it started on Day 1. These guys weren’t leaving the field until they caught some balls and they ran and he was the guy shooting the Jugs Machine. We need that and we need more of it. I just love that he was true to his word that he was gonna grab guys and make sure they were doing extra work.”

Matthews, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound receiver who was the CFL’s most outstanding rookie in 2012 and later played for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and made it to the Super Bowl, was a prized signing for the Bombers, a team desperately in need of some size at the receiver position.

It’s his second go-round with the Bombers. He also played here in 2012 and 2013 before leaving for the NFL. He said things are much different this time around.

“In all honestly my mind was about getting strictly back to the NFL then,” said Matthews, who played four regular season games and won a Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders last season. “Now, I know that’s definitely over with for me. I’m not chasing the NFL no more. I did what I did, I had my fun, I made my money, and I’m good now.

“Now I can come here, I’m not stressing about anything, I can just come in here and just play and give it 110 per cent and give back to the community. I really want to bring kids from the city out to games and if that has to come out of my pocket then that’s just what it’s going to have to be. I know that this game changed my life and I want it to change other people’s.”

THOMPKINS M.I.A.

One receiver who doesn’t seem likely to be back with the Bombers this season is Kenbrell Thompkins, the former NFLer who played 12 games last season.

The team has not been able to get in touch with Thompkins throughout the off-season and he was a no-show for training camp, so he has been placed on the suspended list.

There is plenty of competition for the slotback job Thompkins held last season, with the likes of Corey Washington, Kenny Lawler, Charles Nelson, Rasheed Bailey, Matt Hazel and Lucky Whitehead in the mix.

Josh Stewart, a former Alliance of American Football player who showed well at mini-camp last month, was released after Sunday’s training camp session.

WALKING WOUNDED

Several players did not participate in the first two days of training camp, including star running back Andrew Harris, but O’Shea said there is nothing serious.

“I expect him to be healthy relatively soon,” O’Shea said after Monday’s practice session.

“He doesn’t need the work either. He wants it, obviously, but we’ve got enough tailbacks in camp and enough competition where you’re having a hard time spreading out all the touches. Sitting him down is our choice, for however long it takes, a few days or whatever. It’s not a bad thing for this camp.”

Harris was on the field, though not in full gear.

Other players who sat out the first two days include guard Patrick Neufeld, long snapper Chad Rempel, defensive back Brandon Alexander and linebacker Jesse Briggs.

WINNIPEG WILLIE

Defensive end Willie Jefferson, who was a stud for the Saskatchewan Roughriders last season, is likely to play a huge role for the Bombers this season, but he doesn’t consider himself one of the team leaders just yet.

“I’m saying right now I’m just in the background,” Jefferson said. “I’ve been in the league for a while, I have a voice but for right now I’m just letting Matt (Nichols), Stan (Bryant), Darvin (Adams), Jackson (Jeffcoat) — the guys that have been here, that’s already been established — take control like they have been and when they need some backup, or some help then I’ll step in and give my little two cents and make everybody come around. In the defensive room, it’s just a mentality of getting off the ball, getting to the quarterback and making some plays in the backfield.”

He may want to take a back-seat role in terms of the locker room right off the bat, but make no mistake, Jefferson will be a leader on the field.

“We’re a much more talented defence now,” said Bombers middle linebacker Adam Bighill, who beat Jefferson out last season for the league’s most outstanding defensive player award. “Bringing Willie in means another dynamic player that can do a lot of things. We’ve seen that consistently for the amount of time that he’s been in the CFL. He’s a special player and I’m glad to have him on our defence.”

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